Night Terrors
by tmntfan4eva
Summary: The incident with Princess Ivy leaves Sofia a bit shaken. Normally she'd go to her mother for solace, but not this time. This time there is only one person who can soothe her fears.


**No shame. I'm not even sorry for this. This show and these characters' relationship are just too good for me not to. Plus there just isn't enough hurt/comfort for these two. For real. So I gladly added to it. I hope everyone enjoys. I know I had waaay too much fun with these silly kid show characters. Again, no shame.**

**Oh, but this isn't really meant to be shippy. It's more friendship. I know some people ship it, but I don't really. I hope you like it all the same. :)**

**P.S. My songs of inspiration were in part 'With Love' by Christina Grimmie and the other part 'Pretty Hurts' Mashup Cover by Louisa.**

Sofia shoots up in bed. She gasps and clutches her hands at her chest. Her heart races and her breathing comes erratic. She even trembles slightly. That…was terrible. She ducks her head and whines softly. She wipes at her eyes. How silly. How absolutely ridiculous. And yet…she grimaces. She slips out from under the covers and pads across the bedroom. The floor is cool beneath her feet and sends a shudder through her tiny body.

She wanders out into the hall, so heavy with silence. Not even the wind stirs within its confines. She is all alone with her thoughts – her horrid thoughts. She wraps her arms around herself and hunches over as she moves along the vacant halls. She passes room after room, maid after maid. She even passes by her siblings' and parents' rooms.

Under normal circumstances she might have gone to them – certainly would in fact – but not this time. She treks up the stairs of the tower and to the tiny quarters tucked away in the farthest corner of the castle. At the end of the stairs she stops. She sways back and forth on her feet and bites her lip. Should she? Should she _really_? It's pretty late after all. She whines and tugs at her sleeve.

A flash of her dream – nightmare – comes to her mind. She gasps and lurches forward. She clutches onto the doorknob and shoves the door open, barely able to keep it from slamming back against the wall.

Cedric jerks up. He whirls around and points his wand at the intruder. "Who goes there?" His eyes are wild, but dulled with sleep.

Sofia pulls back. "I-It's me, Mr. Cedric."

Cedric grunts and lowers his wand. He rubs at his eyes. "Isn't it a bit late for you to be up here?"

Sofia frowns and casts her eyes downward. "Well, I, um…" She picks at the hem of her nightgown. "I had a nightmare…" She ducks her head at the ridiculousness of it. It sounds much sillier than it did in her head.

Cedric snorts and rolls his eyes. "Isn't that what your parents are for?" He rests his elbow on the table and leans his head against his palm.

Sofia sighs. "I guess…" She says it so softly she can barely hear it. "But I, it's just…they wouldn't understand." She shrugs.

"Hm?" Cedric raises a brow. "What do you mean?" He notes for the first time just how frazzled she looks. She is unusually quiet and withdrawn. Her vibrance is all but gone, her blue eyes dimmed considerably and ever so…are those tears?

Sofia slinks closer. "It was…about you."

Cedric starts. "What?" He blinks at her. "Me…?" What on earth for?

"Uh-huh." Sofia nods. "I…I dreamed that you-you…" She sniffles and makes a quick swipe at her eyes.

Cedric's brows furrow. "…Sofia?" He sits up straight and tilts his head. He frowns.

"After Princess Ivy…and her dragonflies…I dreamed that you," She can't bear to meet his eyes. "That you forgot about me forever." A tiny sob leaps from her throat.

Cedric shakes his head. "That's ridiculous princess. It was just a dream, and dreams aren't real. They can't hurt you unless you let them."

Sofia nods. She pulls at her fingers. Her cheeks burn a deep red. "I know." She breathes. "I'm so stupid." Yet even as she says it her heart quivers. The expression on his face hits her hard – a look of disinterest and annoyance – a look, she realizes, from long ago. From the first days she knew him.

Cedric sighs and offers a sad smile. "But don't fret my dear." He reaches out and runs his fingers across her cheek. "Everyone has bad dreams – fears."

Sofia's lips tremble. Her body quivers and all her emotions burst forth. She throws herself at him and slings her arms around him. She holds tight and buries her face in his chest. "I-I'm sorry." She blubbers. "B-But I was so-so scared." It's pathetic, she knows, but she sobs. Her tears break free and stream down her face. "I don't want you to forget." She clutches his robe in her tiny hands. "P-Please don't forget me."

Cedric gasps. He stares wide eyed and his hands linger just above her. He's used to hugs at this point, but not ones like this. Never has she sought comfort from him. As a matter of fact, no one has ever done so. It just isn't his forte. He isn't good with _feelings_. Still, in the end he wraps his arms around her and tries his best. "Come on, Sofia." He gently rubs her back. "I could never forget you. You know that."

Sofia sniffles. She tilts her head upward to glance at him. "You sure?" She manages a tiny smile.

Cedric smirks. "Of course, princess."

Sofia sighs and her whole body loosens. Her grip on him slackens. "Thank you…" She breathes into him. She nuzzles him gently.

Cedric smiles, a strange yet genuine sentiment. "Anything for you princess." He runs his fingers over her hair.

Sofia lets out a breath. She steps back, but she keeps a hand curled around his robe. "Anything…?" She looks with widening eyes up into his creasing face. "You mean it Mr. Cedric?" She holds her breath and clenches her hand tighter.

Cedric hesitates, then, slowly, nods.

Sofia smiles. "Um, then, uh…" Her gaze drifting away from him. "Would it be ok if I…" She forces her eyes to meet his brown orbs. "Stay tonight?"

Cedric starts. "I-I…I don't…"

Sofia's face falls and she drops her gaze to the ground. "Oh." She forces a smile. "O-Ok." She releases his robe. She turns away from him. "I'll just…go back to bed."

Cedric sighs. "Sofia," He stands and reaches out for her. He closes his fingers around her wrist. "Wait."

Sofia tilts her head to look over her shoulder. Her eyes glimmer with a sheen of tears. "Hm?" She sniffles and wipes at her eyes. She doesn't bother hiding the action.

Cedric frowns. "Look, I, um," He rubs the back of his neck. "I changed my mind."

Sofia gasps. She whirls around and pounces at him. She giggles as she slings her arms around him and squeezes tight. Her body trembles slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric."

Cedric smiles despite himself. "**But**," He tugs her off of him. He rests his hands on her shoulders as he kneels to her level and looks her dead in the eye. "You can't tell anyone, alright?"

Sofia blinks and tilts her head. "Why?"

Cedric looks hard at her. "You have to promise me." Specks of fear float in his eyes. "Ok? Promise?" He bites his lip.

Sofia shrugs. "Ok. I promise, Mr. Cedric." She holds out her hand and sticks out her pinkie finger.

Cedric stares blankly at her offering. "What is that?" He quirks a brow.

Sofia laughs. "Oh, Mr. Cedric." Her face shines. "It's a pinkie promise. It's how you swear the _really_ important stuff." She chuckles. "Didn't you ever do it when you were little?" She tilts her head.

"Ah, no...not really. I," Cedric side glances. "Didn't make promises." He prays she doesn't hear the truth beneath his words. _I didn't have friends._

Sofia frowns. She hears it loud and clear. But she knows he lied to her for a reason and so she lets it ago. Maybe he'll be willing to admit it someday, to trust her with his hurts like she does him. "Well, this can be your first time." She moves her hand forward and wiggles her finger. "Just give me your pinkie."

Cedric raises a brow and frowns. Still, it won't hurt anything. So he sticks his pinkie out and locks it around hers.

"I pinkie swear!" She chirps. She grins expectantly.

Cedric smiles. "Good." He stands. "Come on then." He nods in the direction of his bedroom.

Sofia latches onto the sleeve of his robe and follows at his side. They go back into a room she has never seen before. There was no need to after all. "Oh," Her eyes widen. "You have a bed." She giggles.

Cedric makes a face. He halts and aims a raised brow at her. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Sofia covers her mouth with a hand to suppress her laughter. "Nothing, Mr. Cedric. I just always see you sleeping out there is all. It's like that was your bed." She snickers one final time.

Cedric rolls his eyes. "Silly girl." He continues over to the bed. He turns the covers down and motions her to get under.

Sofia crawls into bed and curls up in the center of the bed.

Cedric pulls the covers up over her and then lays down next to her. He keeps close to the edge, well out of reach from her.

Sofia frowns. She sidles closer, close enough to lean her head against his shoulder. Then she slips her arms from beneath the covers and twines her hands around his arm. She hugs tight and smiles in content.

Cedric starts. His heart skips a beat and he stares with wide eyes at her arms around his. He nearly tugs his limb away, stopping only as he notes her expression and how relaxed she already is. He sighs to himself and can't help but smile. "G'night princess Sofia." He watches her for a moment longer and when finally he is satisfied by her steady breathing and continued silence he too closes his eyes. And for the first time in forever he has pleasant dreams, dreams of a little girl and her inexhaustible vibrancy. A vibrancy he prays will continue to light his world forever.

**So what did you think? Personally I am head over heels in love with it. These two are just such cuties in the show. Cedric in particular. He's the whole reason I started watching the show. Deep down he's just a big marshmallow, like all good kid show villains. lol Maybe I'll do some more one-shots with these two. We'll have to see. Some good in-show fodder would do wonders. That's for sure. (Can't wait for Substitute Cedric!) Anyway, please review!**


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